Timi Frank Slams Okowa Over Alleged Regret on Atiku VP Slot
ABUJA/Nigeria: Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has taken a swipe at former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, over a reported comment expressing regret for accepting the role of vice presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
Frank, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, said although it’s possible Okowa was misquoted, his failure to deny the report after over 24 hours amounts to tacit acceptance. He warned that such comments risk distorting political history and misleading Nigerians about the events leading up to the 2023 elections.
He described Okowa’s position as an “afterthought” and accused the former governor of desperately lobbying, begging, and scheming for the vice-presidential slot during the buildup to the election.
“It is understandable that Okowa is fighting to avoid EFCC prosecution over alleged corruption, but to now claim he regrets becoming Atiku’s running mate is pure cowardice. We know how he fought, begged, and lobbied for that position,” Frank stated.
The political activist went further to describe Okowa as a “serial liar and betrayer,” accusing him of betraying former Governor James Ibori, his political benefactor, in pursuit of personal ambition.
Frank said the PDP was deceived into backing Okowa, adding that his inclusion in the 2023 ticket was detrimental to the party’s performance at the polls. “If Wike had been picked instead, perhaps the PDP would be in power today,” he noted.
He berated Okowa’s recent defection to the APC, describing it as further proof of his “gross integrity deficit” and survivalist politics. “With Okowa’s defection, the APC has become a dumping ground for looters. He didn’t join the party out of conviction but to seek refuge from EFCC scrutiny,” Frank alleged.
Frank, who serves as Ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to East Africa and the Middle East, said Okowa’s defection was unlikely to yield any political dividends for the APC in Delta State.
“He was a sitting governor and vice-presidential candidate yet couldn’t deliver Delta State to the PDP. His presence in APC won’t change their fortunes come 2027,” he asserted.
The activist added that Atiku’s decision to pick Okowa, despite opposition from key party stakeholders including Ibori, strained long-standing relationships and ultimately hurt the PDP’s chances. “Atiku didn’t realise the calm exterior of Okowa concealed betrayal. Only God and posterity will judge him for what he cost the PDP in 2023,” Frank declared.
He concluded that neither Atiku nor the PDP will miss Okowa, whom he accused of dragging Governor Sheriff Oborevwori along with him into the APC fold, warning that Nigerians and the international community are watching to see if the EFCC will temper its investigations because of his new political alignment.
